Calimesa Blaze Now 77 Percent Contained

A brushfire that started near Interstate 10 in Calimesa, which killed two people and charred 1,011 acres, is 77 percent contained, the Riverside County Fire Department said Sunday.

An approximate time of when the blaze would be 100 percent contained was not known.

Firefighters worked overnight to clear more lines of vegetation and shore up existing lines around the brushfire that ravaged a mobile home park near Interstate 10 after the driver of a trash truck dumped his burning load, igniting nearby dry grass.

The body of a second victim was found Friday evening during the search through a burned mobile home and the coroner’s office was working to identify this latest victim, whose age and gender were not immediately known, according to Riverside County sheriff’s officials.

The initial fatality was 89-year-old Lois Arvickson, who lived in the mobile home park and who, her son told reporters, was on the phone with him, preparing to get in her car and leave when the line suddenly cut out.

The blaze, which has destroyed 76 mobile homes, was reported at 1:58 p.m. Thursday at Sandalwood Drive and Seventh Street, near the Interstate 10 exit ramp.

“This was a very rapidly moving fire,” Riverside County Fire Department Division Chief Todd Hopkins said during a Friday news briefing in Beaumont. “It started when a trash truck caught fire, and the burning trash was jettisoned out the back of the vehicle.”

Like this story? Don’t miss any breaking news from MyNewsLA.com. Sign up here for your free newsletter.

Email Address

Flames from the burning trash ignited dry grass and spread into the RV park, he said.

“We’re trying to determine whether there’s criminal culpability,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said. “We’re investigating to see if we need any type of criminal charges.”

County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, who previously served as the city’s mayor, called it “a very, very difficult day for Riverside County and Calimesa.”

“This fire has caused extensive damage to the community, and we have lost life,” he said. “My heart goes out to the community, and our thoughts are especially with the grieving relatives.”

Hewitt said the county Emergency Management Department has issued an emergency proclamation, which the Board of Supervisors is slated to ratify during a special session next Thursday morning to enable the county to apply for immediate state and federal aid.

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for residents of the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park but were lifted at 1 p.m. Saturday for the area north of the mobile home park. Authorities said residents returning home should use County Line Road as Seventh Street was shut down between Sandalwood Drive and County Line Road.

“That road closure will be in place for quite some time because of the investigation,” the sheriff said, adding that deputies were providing security around evacuated properties to prevent looting.

Along with the county and Calimesa fire departments, Cal Fire-San Bernardino County and the Yucaipa fire departments were working to encircle the blaze under a unified command.

Calimesa Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Rarey said a temporary shelter for displaced residents was established at Mesa Grande Academy, 975 Fremont St.

According to the American Red Cross, volunteers were providing around- the-clock assistance to evacuees at the shelter.

“Shelter services include a safe and clean place to stay, food, hydration, comfort kits with personal hygiene items, emotional support and health services,” according to the nonprofit agency. “Those affected by the fire do not need to be staying overnight at the shelter to take advantage of Red Cross services.”

Large and small animals were being accepted at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave. Anyone needing help evacuating pets was urged to call 951-358-7387.

The sheriff advised anyone who has information about the fire, or who is from the area and may have other concerns, to call 951-776-1099 and use option No. 5.

The Red Cross requested donations to its Disaster Relief fund to help those impacted. Donations can be made at www.redcross.org, or 800-733-2767.

Calimesa Blaze Now 77 Percent Contained was last modified: October 13th, 2019 by Contributing Editor